LAKELAND, Fla. — At the end of it all, the miscommunication in the bullpen Sunday that led to right-hander Spencer Turnbull having to needlessly warm up for an extra inning turned into a laughable affair worthy of a “Three Stooges” short.
Turnbull, the Detroit Tigers' starter in a 10-4 win over the New York Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium, had a straightforward assignment: Three innings of work or 40 pitches, whichever came first.
Turnbull cruised through three scoreless innings with 29 pitches. He was done. Or so he thought. When the fourth inning came, the Tigers’ bullpen was completely still.